1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a passenger vehicle tray table, and more specifically, to an adjustable bi-fold tray table for a passenger seat that is selectively movable in the fore, aft and lateral directions for maximum adjustability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Passengers seats, such as those found on an aircraft, typically include a seat frame securely mounted to the vehicle floor, a passenger supporting portion including a seat back and a seat bottom mounted to the frame, and a pair of armrests positioned about the sides of the seat bottom. While several functions of the armrests are to provide passenger comfort and define the living space of the seat, the armrests commonly function as mounting surfaces for seat controls, media controls, headphone jacks, attendant calling controls, as well as defining storage compartments and beverage holders.
Vehicle passenger seats are typically arranged in rows of predetermined numbers of seats to accommodate a predetermined number of passengers. Groups of rows of seats may be separated into “classes” of seats, such as “first class,” “business class,” and “coach class” seating, for example. First class seats typically provide the greatest amount of living space, seat comfort and seat adjustability. Rows of coach seats are typically positioned in close enough proximity that the tray table for a passenger in a coach seat is mounted to the back of the seat immediately in front of the passenger. In arrangements in which the coach seat is in the first row of seats, the tray table is typically stowed alongside the seat frame and swung into position as needed. In the case of a tray table attached to a seat back, the tray table includes a single tray mounted to a pair hinges that allow the tray table to be moved between a stowed position flush against the seat back and a working position. Once in the working position, the tray table is not capable of being moved in the lateral or “cross-craft” direction and remains laterally fixed between the hinges. First class and business class seats, because of the larger amount of living space and greater distance between rows, typically locate their tray tables within an end-bay defined within an armrest of the seat.
Conventional tray tables stowed within the end-bay are typically attached to the seat through a complex hinge adapted to allow the tray table to rotate, pivot and fold flat across the lap of the passenger. To access the tray table from the end-bay, the passenger typically rotates opens a portion of the armrest and withdraws the tray table by rotating it outwards about 180 degrees. The tray table is then folded flat in front of the passenger to provide a generally flat working surface. The packaging restraints of the end-bay limit the dimensions of the tray table, thus a fully withdrawn and positioned tray table has a length insufficient to bridge the gap between the armrests of a large seat, such as a first class seat. Since the tray table is only supported at its hinge end, the tray table is unstable and can suffer from an undesirable “diving board” effect.
Accordingly, what is desired is a tray table capable of bridging the gap between the armrests of its attached seat, while having a design that allows the tray table to be folded and stored when not in use, such as within an end-bay of the seat. Still further, what is desired is a tray table that provides a passenger the maximum amount of adjustability of the tray table when positioned to provide maximum support and comfort.